Allendale Community Field Day teaches kids about things that pollinate

The 4th annual Allendale Community Field Day was all the buzz June 13 at the Allendale Public Schools K-8 campus as Grand Valley faculty taught families how to build a bee house, plant flowers, what makes them sneeze, and much more.

Allendale Community Field Day was coordinated by Peter Riemersma, associate professor of geology at Grand Valley, and Keith Piccard, an adjunct faculty in biology at Grand Valley and a science teacher at Allendale Middle School.

The event, with the theme of “Things that Pollinate,” paired Grand Valley faculty and students with members from the Allendale community and public school system for a fun day of engaging activities that promote outdoor education.

“These types of events introduce Grand Valley faculty to the community in a non-academic setting, especially since so many students who attend GVSU are from the surrounding communities,” Riemersma said. “Also, it provides an opportunity for experts to share their knowledge and educate families and kids, as well as illustrate to us how the Allendale community can be a possible research area for Grand Valley professors.”

During the event, more than 150 people had the opportunity to participate in a bee hive unveiling, collect pollen from different types of plants, build bee houses, observe how a flower is designed to attract bees under UV lights and plant a garden specifically designed to attract pollinators.

The Allendale Community Foundation, Allendale Rotary Club, Schepers Concrete, Countryside Greenhouse and Bizstream sponsor Allendale Community Field Day.